Tajik rights defender Bobonazarova says few openly protect others amid NGO crackdown
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Tajik lawyer and rights activist Oynihol Bobonazarova says only a handful of people in Tajikistan openly and consistently defend the rights of others. She links this to the liquidation of hundreds of public organizations and growing self-censorship. Bobonazarova, the only Tajik woman to receive the U.S. International Women of Courage Award, spoke in an interview with Asia-Plus.
Key Facts
- Oynihol Bobonazarova is the only Tajik woman to receive the U.S. International Women of Courage Award.
- Hundreds of public organizations have been liquidated in Tajikistan, according to Bobonazarova.
- Bobonazarova says lawyers face self-censorship because the Ministry of Justice periodically re-certifies them.
- Bobonazarova argues that journalists can be human rights defenders and calls them one of the most important institutions of any society.
Defining a Rights Defender
Bobonazarova defines a human rights defender as someone who perceives the pain of every person and of society as their own, beyond their personal problems. She says anyone can be a rights defender, citing physicist Andrei Sakharov as an example. The common assumption that rights defenders are mainly lawyers is incorrect, she says, though in Central Asia many were lawyers and advocates. Bobonazarova notes that lawyers face fear of losing their licenses or being banned, which limits their ability to act as rights defenders.
Lawyers and Self-Censorship
State-appointed defense lawyers in cases where detainees cannot hire their own counsel are often constrained by multiple circumstances, Bobonazarova says. Lawyers handling cases involving state secrets must sign non-disclosure agreements and cannot speak publicly about them. The Ministry of Justice periodically re-certifies lawyers, which Bobonazarova says creates self-censorship and prevents many lawyers from being rights defenders.
Journalists as Rights Defenders
Bobonazarova says journalists can certainly be human rights defenders. She calls journalists one of the most important institutions of any society.
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